Brace for furniture.



T.'H. WITTLIFF.

BRACE FOR FURNITURE. APPLICATDON FILED AUG. 1, 1914.

MINI Hi Patented May 2,1916.

THEODORE H. WITTLIFF, OF NORTH FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

BBACE ronrunmrunn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, was.

Application filed August 1, 1914. Serial No. 854,582.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Trrnononn' H. Wrr'rnirr, of North Fort \Vorth, in the county of 'Iarrant and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Braces parts of beds, tables and chairs for the pur-- pose of strengthening the same, suitable tightening means being combined with the wire for the purpose of taking up slack in such wire, an'object of this invention being to provide a brace in which the tightening means lies substantially in the plane of the tightening wires so that there is no twisting action on the tightening means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yoke member which is adapted for having either one or two wires connected thereto, it being impossible in some instances to attach more than one wire to a yoke member because of the construction of the furniture.

.1 still further object of the invention is to provide a bracing means having provision for attaching it to metal beds where it is impossible to utilize the ordinary screwhooks and eyes that have heretofore been employed for connecting braces to this type of furniture. V A

To these andother ends, the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the-appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view partially in section of a metal bed showing 'the bracing means attached thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the tightening means with the proximate portions of the bracing wires; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tightening means; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the loops employed f r attaching the brace to metal furniture; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of one of the at:

inching devices which is employed for an-.

ehoring one end of abrace wire to a side rail of a metallic bed; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the yoke members showing a single wire. passed about the same to be anchored to two bed posts at one end of the bed, instead of to one of said posts and a side rail as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a connecting member which may be in the form of a turn buckle connecting two yoke members 3. Each of these yoke members is like the other so that a description of one will apply to the other. In this instance, each yoke member has an externally threaded screw portion 2 for cooperating with the internally threaded screw portion of the turn buckle 1. The screw portion 2 projects from the yoke member 3 which preferably is of substantially V-shape and has its opposite sides formed with straight grooves 4 diverging from the apex of the yoke member where the latter is provided with a transverse groove 5 which permits the grooves l to be connected at their ends to provide a continuous substantially V-shaped groove in the yoke-member 3, this groove being in a plane with the axis of the screw member 2 so that the tension on the brace wires will be substantially in line with the screw member 2 and, in this way, all twisting action on the tightening device will be prevented. At the ends of the grooved portions 4, there are provided inwardly curved portions 6 which prevent the formation of any sharp corners that would have a tendency to cut the brace wires.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2, each yoke-member has two wires 7 and 8 connected thereto, each wire leading from a bed or other post 9 to a side rail 10 and passing in engagement between its ends with one of' the grooves 4 and the point or apex between the two grooves 4, this point or apex being wide and flat vertically to permit the wires to lie side by side without crowding each other. In order to secure each of the brace wires to the metal post of the bed there may be provided an open loop 11 for each post, and this loop may be made of sheet metal or other ma terial and bent between its ends to form the loop, the ends being formed into hooks 12 preferably by notching the metal. After this loop is passed around a bed post, its ends are drawn together to tighten the loop on the post, and a loop 13 formed in an end of the wire is passed over the two hooks 12, thus holding the loop in firm engagement with the post and permitting the'wire to be quickly detached from the loop.

For connecting the wires to the side rails, attaching devices may be employed each preferably in the form of a clamp ll formed from sheet iron bent into Ushape, the opposed faces being corrugated or roughened at 15 in order that they may clamp a flange of the side rail 10, and a screw or fastening device 16 uniting the arms of the U-shaped clamp to draw the corrugated faces 15 in firm engagement with the side rail. This clamping device may have a book 17 struck up therefrom to be engaged by a loop '18 formed on the end of the wires 7 or 8.

In Fig. 6,I have illustrated a construction in which each yoke member 3 has a single wire 8 passed about the same, to be attached at its ends to the corner posts, thus dispensing with the support on the side rails when it is impossible to attach the tightener to the side rails as is the case when box springs and iron slat springs are employed on the bed.

A brace in accordance with this invention is adapted for strengthening beds, tables, chairs and other furniture in which the legs work loose in use.. It may employ two, three or four wires as the yoke members are formed to permit either one of two wires to be connected 'to either of them. WVhen two wires are connected to a yoke member, the wires overlap in such a manner that one does not interfere with the sliding of the other on the yoke member. The form of the yoke member is such that the wires have a long bearing thereupon so that" there is no liability for any cutting action. The wires are housed in grooves and there is no danger of any abrasive action which would affect the mattress or springs in my way whatsoever. Provision is made for attaching the brace to metal beds without boring or otherwise disfiguring the beds. These attaching devices permit the ready connection and disconnection of the brace so that it does not require a skilled mechanic to attach or detach the same.

'hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tightening yoke for furniture braces having a screw threaded portion and a portion rigid with the screw threaded portion and provided with straight diverging wire grooves on opposite sides thereof, lying in a plane with the axis of the screw portion and connected by a transverse recess.

2. A tightening yoke for furniture braces having a projecting screw threaded portion and a portion rigid with the screw threaded portion and provided with straight diverging grooves on opposite sides thereof. lying in a plane with the axis of the screw threaded portion. the yoke being provided with a recess in one side connectingithe grooves at one end, and the other ends of the grooves being curved inwardly.

THEODORE H. XVITTLIFF.

WVitnesses:

A. G. OsTERLoH, U. P. SCHUMACHER. 

